Troy teen charged with murdering dad out of jail on technicality

TROY -- A teenager charged with murdering her father is getting a brief taste of freedom.

Charged with shooting her father in the head in a dispute over her use of a debit card, 17-year-old Trinity Copeland was released from jail Thursday on a legal technicality, but she'll soon be back in custody.

Copeland will again face murder charges when she surrenders to Troy police next week, according to the Rensselaer County District Attorney.

"She'll surrender herself next Thursday, on the same or similar charges and the process will continue," said DA Richard McNally.

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A legal technicality was behind County Court Judge Andrew Ceresia decision to dismiss the first grand jury in the case.

"The judge dismissed the indictment because of failure to properly instruct the grand jury," McNally said. "We will re-present to a grand jury in the very near future, within a week or two."

McNally said his office has been busy conferencing the case with Copeland's attorney, Matthew Smalls, a process he said could lead to a negotiated plea agreement.

"This isn't a typical homicide," McNally said. "And that's not to say any homicide is typical, but in this case there are special circumstances involved that we have to be sensitive to, in this case the victim's family and the defendant's family is the same family."

McNally confirmed that in Copland's version of events, she believes states she was in some way threatened by her father.

"That that was in some way part of why she shot him," he said.

In June 2012, Copland told police she was confronted by her father about her use of his debit card, after which he threatened to shoot her and himself if she didn't shoot him.

"He told me that he was gonna kill me," Copeland told police. "He was going to kill us both or I was going to have to kill him."

Troy Police responding to a 911 call at the Seventh Avenue apartment and found the elder Copland lying on a couch in his living room, dead of a single gunshot wound to his head.

After her arraignment on a two-count indictment, which included second degree murder charges, Copeland was ordered held without bail at Rensselaer County Jail, where she remained until Thursday morning.

It was unclear where Copeland is residing until her scheduled surrender next week.

If convicted of the top charge against her, Copeland could faces 25 years-to-life behind bars.